Stephen Dempsey entered the Predator Tour's season finale in second place among the tour's A+-ranked players, just behind Tony Liang. When it was over, following a five-match, loss-side winning streak and a victory in the finals over Manny Stamatakis, Dempsey moved into the #1, A+ slot in the tour rankings. The $5,500-added season finale for the tour, held on the weekend of December 12-13, drew 80 entrants to Raxx Billiards in West Hempstead, NY. A $1,500-added Open/Pro event (separate story) drew 24 entrants, and was still ongoing as this report was filed.
Dempsey's trip on the winners' side of the Amateur bracket came to an end during the winners' side quarterfinals, at the hands of Rhys Chen, who advanced to a winners' side semifinal versus Manny Stamatakis, owner of Steinway Billiards. Todd Trent, in the meantime, squared off against Mike Figueroa. Two double hill matches advanced Stamatakis and Trent to the hot seat match, where Stamatakis prevailed 7-3 to sit in the hot seat.
On the loss side, Dempsey downed Ron Mason 8-5 and Scott Murphy 8-6, earning a re-match versus Chen. Figueroa drew Bob Toomey, who entered the tournament in second place among the tour's C players, and had defeated Luis Jimenez 7-4 and Judd Parker, double hill, to face Figueroa. Dempsey and Toomey advanced to the quarterfinals; Dempsey successfully wreaking his vengeance on Chen, and Toomey, downing Figueroa, both 7-3.
Dempsey took the quarterfinal match 11-7 over Toomey, whose finish in fourth place advanced him into first place among the tour's C players. Dempsey moved on and picked up a forfeit win over Trent in the semifinals. Dempsey completed the event win, with a 9-6 victory over Stamatakis in the finals.
Ron Mason, last seen in a Predator Tour winners' circle back in March of 2012, when he came from the loss to side to chalk up the victory, wound his way through a field of 26 to go undefeated on a Predator Tour Amateur stop on the weekend of September 27-28. The $500-added event drew the 26 to Mr. Cues, in Lindenhurst, NY. A concurrently-run Open/Pro event drew a short field of eight entrants, and was won by Jeremy Sossei.
Mason's win came in spite of being tightly challenged by Roger Lakotko in the hot seat match and then, in the finals, by Jerry Tarantola, who'd won five on the loss side for the right to face him. Mason drew Dan Faraguna in a winners' side semifinal, while Lakotko squared off against John Schott, who'd just sent Tarantola to the losers' bracket. Lakotko defeated Schott 7-3, as Mason was busy downing Faraguna 7-4. Lakotko battled Mason to double hill before giving way and moving to a semifinal match against Tarantola, from which he would not return.
Tarantola began his five-match, loss-side march to the finals with a 7-2 win over Asa Shaw, and then hung on to win a double hill fight over Victor Nau, which set Tarantola up for a re-match against Schott. Kevin Falco, in the meantime, defeated Lionell Swanston 7-4 and Joe Wilson Torres 7-3, to pick up Faraguna.
Tarantola survived his second straight double hill match, successfully wreaking his vengeance on Schott, as Faraguna was busy eliminating Falco 7-3. Tarantola took the quarterfinal match against Faraguna 8-6, and the semifinal match against Lakotko 7-5. Mason, though, was not to be denied. He took the final match 8-5 to claim the Amateur event title.
The Open/Pro event consisted of 14 matches, the first four of which created the winners' side semifinals; Jeremy Sossei defeated Scott Murphy 8-2, Frankie Hernandez downed Tour Director Tony Robles 8-6, Joey Korsiak survived a double hill match versus Warren Kiamco and Hunter Lombardo got by Joe Davis 8-4. Sossei and Lombardo then downed Hernandez and Korsiak, both 8-6, and faced each other in the hot seat match. Lombardo took that, double hill, and sat in the hot seat, awaiting Sossei's return.
On the loss side, Murphy eliminated Robles 8-6 to face Korsiak, as Kiamco defeated Davis 8-2 to pick up Hernandez. It was Hernandez and Korsiak advancing to the quarterfinals; Hernandez 8-5 over Kiamco, and Korsiak over Murphy 8-3. It was Hernandez who advanced to a semifinal re-match against Sossei with an 8-4 win over Korsiak.
Sossei defeated Hernandez 8-4 and then took full advantage of his second opportunity against Lombardo, defeating him 11-8 in the finals to claim the event title.
Two years ago, Oscar Bonilla was chalking up Northeast wins all over the place. He won a Predator Tour stop, a couple of Sandcastle Billiards weekly Gauntlet events, and two second chance tournaments on the Joss Tour. He finished first, second or third in nine of the 11 events in which he cashed that year. Last year, he finished fourth in a Predator event and that was about it. This year, until the weekend of November 30-December 1, nothing, and then, he signed on to a short-field Open Predator event, and ran the table, defeating Jayson Shaw in the finals. The $500-added event drew 11 entrants.
In the concurrently-run, $500-added Amateur event that drew 32 entrants, Basdeo Sookhai took the title. He'd been defeated in the battle for the hot seat, and came back from the semifinals to take down Billy Santiago.
In the short-field (16-player bracket) Open event, Bonilla got into a winners' side semifinal matchup with Tour Director Tony Robles, as Shaw squared off against Travis McKinney in the other one. Bonilla hung on to win his double hill match against Robles, while McKinney downed Shaw 7-4. Bonilla took the hot seat match 7-4, and waited on what turned out to be Shaw's return.
Shaw moved over and picked up Chris Derewonski, who, not satisfied with a second place finish on the Tri-State Tour the day before, had been sent to the loss side by Robles, and defeated Raphael Dabreo 7-5 and Liam Monk 7-1. Robles drew Mhet Vergara, who'd gotten by Scott Murphy and Chad Bowling, both 7-3.
Shaw dropped Derewonski into the tie for fifth place 7-3, and by the same score, Robles ended Vergara's day. Shaw then finished Robles bid, with a 7-3 win in the quarterfinals, and went on to a re-match against McKinney. Another 7-3 win, and Shaw got a shot at Bonilla. Bonilla, though, gave up only a single rack completing his undefeated run through the short field.
In the Amateur event, Sookhai and Santiago met first in the hot seat match, once Sookhai had sent Gail Robles west 7-5 and Santiago had survived a double hill battle against Darren Defilips. It was Santiago in double hill, survival mode in the hot seat match, moving Santiago to the semifinals.
On the loss side, Stuart Warnock was at work on a four-match run to the semifinals. He'd been sent over by Defilips and defeated Chad Bowling 7-4 and Keith Adamik, double hill, to pick up Robles. Defilips drew Scott Murphy, who'd defeated Meshak Daniel 7-4 and Eric Grasman 7-6.
Warnock and Defilips advanced to the quarterfinals; Warnock, 8-5 over Robles and Defilips, double hill over Murphy.
Warnock's loss-side winning streak ended with a double hill win over Defilips in those quarterfinals. Sookhai defeated him in the semifinals 7-2, and then went on to defeat Santiago 9-7 to claim the event title.
Jayson Shaw, looking to add to his already substantial winnings in 2013, signed on for the $500-added Open event at Stop # 16 on the Predator Tour, held on the weekend of October 5-6. Amidst a short field of 15 entrants at The Cue Bar in Bayside, Queens, Shaw went undefeated to claim his third 2013 Predator title, which had included the Empire State 10-Ball Championships in February. He had to get by Mike Yednak twice; once, in the hot seat and again, in the finals. Yednak, who won the Amateur division of Labor Day weekend's George "Ginky" Sansouci Memorial tournament has just recently been elevated to Open/Pro status, and in addition to advancing to the winners' side final, managed to down Robb Saez in the semifinals for second shot at Shaw.
In the $500-added Amateur event, which drew 44 entrants to the same location, Bogie Uzdejczyk came from the loss side and avenged an earlier loss by defeating hot seat occupant, Tommy Hagan to claim the event title. Sent west by Hagan in one of the winners' side semifinals, Uzdejczyk won three on the loss side for a second shot at Hagan, and then, took full advantage to win it.
In the Open event, Shaw faced Robb Saez in one of the winners' side semifinals as Yednak squared off against Ray Lee in the other. Shaw and Yednak advanced to the hot seat match with identical 7-5 victories over Saez and Lee. Shaw gave up only a single rack in the hot seat match, and waited on Yednak's return.
Saez, in the meantime, working on the loss side met up with Juan Guzman, who'd downed Emily Duddy 7-3 and Tony Liang 7-4. Lee had the misfortune of running into Mhet Vergara, who'd defeated Darren Defilippis 7-4 and then, completely shut out Jerry Tarantola. Vergara chalked up his second straight shutout, eliminating Lee, while Saez was busy surviving a double hill battle over Guzman.
Saez ended Guzman's two-match shutout streak 7-3 in the quarterfinals and turned to the final obstacle on his way to a re-match against Shaw – Yednak, in the semifinals. Yednak, though, was just as determined for a re-match and downed Saez 7-5 to earn the opportunity. Shaw ended Yednak's bid 9-4 in the finals to claim the title.
Uzdejczyk takes Amateur event
In the Amateur event, Tommy Hagan advanced to the hot seat match by first, defeating Bogie Uzdejczyk in a winners' side semifinal 7-4, and then, by a score of 7-5 in the hot seat match, defeating Marco Dy, who'd sent John Hacsi to the loss side 7-5. Hagan sat in the hot seat, waiting on Uzdejczyk.
Uzdejczyk began his three-match loss-side campaign against Stuart Warnock, who'd gotten by Billy Santiago 7-3 and survived a double hill match against Scott Murphy. Hasci met up with Dinko Busanich, who'd defeated Tony Liang 7-4 and Keith Adamik 7-5.
Uzdejczyk ended Warnock's day 7-5 and in the quarterfinals, faced Hasci, who'd prevailed in a double hill match against Busanich. Uzdejczyk went on to defeat Hasci 7-5, and then, earn himself a re-match against Hagan with a 7-5 victory over Dy in the semifinals. He completed his comeback with a 9-7 win over Hagan to claim the event title.
Thomas Rice, at 14 years of age, followed a May victory on the Tri-State Tour with a September 7-8 victory on the Predator Tour. He became the youngest player to ever win a stop on the tour, and according to tour director Tony Robles, "he was ecstatic about it." The youngster has figured in the money in eight stops on the Tri-State Tour this year, and three on the Predator Tour. This most recent, $500-added amateur event, drew 37 entrants to Mr. Cue's Billiards in Lindenhurst, NY.
On Sunday, a short field of players (8) signed on to a $500-added Open event, which was won by Dennis Hatch. Hatch, who'd finished second in the George "Ginky" Sansouci Memorial Tournament the previous week, got by Predator Tour Director Tony Robles twice to capture the event title.
From among the winners' side final four in the amateur event, with a bye and three winning matches behind him, Rice faced Asa Shaw. Victor Nau and Billy Santiago met in the other winners' side semifinal. Rice got into the hot seat match with an 8-5 victory over Shaw, and was met by Nau, who'd sent Santiago over with a double hill win. Rice, a C+ player (soon to be a B), defeated the A+ Nau 9-7 (Rice had four beads on the wire at the start) and sat in the hot seat, awaiting the return of what turned out to be Pete Tascarella, Jr.
Tascarella, who'd been defeated by Nau in an early round, would win seven to get back to the finals. He got by Robert Gipp 7-3 and won a double hill match against Eric Grassman to draw Santiago. Shaw, coming over, met up with Keith K.llo, who'd gotten by Romeo Singh 7-4 and picked up a forfeit victory over Shawn Sookhai.
Tascarella and Kallo advanced to the quarterfinals with 7-1 victories over Santiago and Shaw. Tascarella downed Kallo 7-5 and then, picked up a forfeit semifinal win over Nau. Rice, though, put an end to Tascarella's loss-side winning streak with a 9-7 win in the finals.
Hatch goes undefeated through four to win Open event
Victories in their opening match, put Dennis Hatch, Frankie Hernandez, Mark Gerel and Tony Robles among the winners' side final four in the Open event. Hatch and Robles defeated Hernandez and Gerel, respectively, both 8-3, and moved into the hot seat match. Hatch took that one 8-4 and waited for Robles to get back from the semifinals.
On the loss side, Jerry Tarantola, following an 8-2 win over Carl Yusuf Khan, picked up Gerel. Nigel Francis, who'd defeated Scott Murphy 8-5, met up with Hernandez. It was Tarantola and Hernandez meeting up in the quarterfinals, once Tarantola had eliminated Gerel 8-6 and Hernandez had downed Francis 8-5.
Hernandez took the quarterfinal match over Tarantola 8-2, but was stopped by Robles 8-5 in the semifinals. Hatch completed his four-match run through the field of eight with an 8-3 win over Robles in the finals.
They’re friends, the two of them – Mika Immonen and Zion Zvi – and as it turned out, they faced each other twice in the Open/Pro event of the Predator Tour stop on the weekend of March 3-4. The Iceman won both times, once early, and again in the finals to finish undefeated. The $500-added event drew 11 entrants to Mr. Cue in Lindenhurst, NY.
As Zvi idled with a bye in the opening round, Immonen defeated Greg McAndrews 7-3. They met in the second round, and Immonen won his first of their two 7-3. Immonen moved among the winners’ side final four to face tour director Tony Robles. In the second pairing, Frankie Hernandez squared off against Jennifer Barretta. Immonen sent Robles to the loss side 7-2, as Hernandez downed Barretta 7-5. Immonen got into the hot seat with a 7-4 victory over Hernandez and waited for his friend Zvi to complete a four-match, loss-side winning streak to meet up with him in the finals.
Zvi drew a bye on the loss side and then shut out Brian Russell, to pick up Barretta. Robles drew McAndrews, who after being sent west by Immonen, defeated Steve Wright 7-3 and Scott Murphy 7-4. Zvi finished Barretta’s day with a 7-4 victory and was joined in the quarterfinals by McAndrews, who downed Robles 7-3.
Zvi and McAndrews locked up in a double hill battle in those quarterfinals, but Zvi prevailed and advanced to meet Hernandez in the semifinals. A 7-4 win there gave Zvi the chance he’d been working for all along – a second chance against the Iceman. Immonen took their second set in the potentially extended race 9-4 to complete his undefeated day.
Tour director Tony Robles thanked the owners and staff of Mr. Cue, as well as sponsors Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCGrind.
